Initially released 22 years ago, Kirby Air Ride received a lukewarm reception from critics, yet it has since garnered a dedicated fanbase. Now, director Masahiro Sakurai has the opportunity to return with a sequel for the Switch 2, titled Kirby Air Riders. A Nintendo executive even suggested that the original game was ahead of its time, implying that the gaming community may be ready to recognize Sakurai’s “genius” now.
“It’s exciting to see [Sakurai] back at the helm of a Kirby game after so many years,” stated Bill Trinen, VP of product and player experience at Nintendo of America, in an interview with IGN. “More than that, I’ve always believed that Kirby Air Ride for the GameCube was a pioneering title that perhaps wasn’t fully appreciated when it was first released.”
Here’s a link to watch the trailer:
https://youtu.be/oJVsNMp_nAU
Launching on GameCube in 2003, Kirby Air Ride received an underwhelming score of 61 on Metacritic. Critics found the controls, which involved automatic acceleration and simplistic steering mechanics, to be too basic. Despite this, the game performed well commercially, earning a “Player’s Choice” status, and many players retain nostalgic memories of the title.
“I’m really thrilled because there’s a passionate group of players who adored that game on the GameCube,” Trinen elaborated. “It’s fantastic to see their enthusiasm for this announcement. Additionally, I believe that the current landscape of the gaming industry presents an excellent opportunity to introduce a larger audience to Kirby Air Riders. I think people will finally start to recognize what I consider to be the brilliance of Masahiro Sakurai and the creation he designed with that game.”
Since the debut of Air Ride, Sakurai has directed several installments in the Smash Bros. franchise, and through these entries as well as his insightful YouTube series on game development, he has solidified a strong reputation among fans. It will be interesting to see how this new entry is received, especially with fans approaching Kirby Air Riders with enhanced expectations later this year.
Kirby Air Riders is just one of many titles set to release for the upcoming Switch 2.